Sydney, Dec 19 : Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been told that he cannot complete a two-week coaching stint with budding pacers because he plays in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League.

Gillespie was invited by the Australian team's bowling coach Troy Cooley to work with young pacemen at the Centre of Excellence, but the move has been blocked by Cricket Australia, which sides with the influential Indian board in banishing so-called "rebel" ICL players from domestic and international cricket.

"I just found out that because of my involvement in the ICL that doesn't allow me to go and do any coaching there, which I think is quite unusual," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Gillespie, as saying.

Gillespie, who retired with 259 Test wickets, making him Australia's sixth-most successful bowler, said: "It would have been two weeks working with under-age kids. It is getting out of hand. Blokes are available to help and they don't want to use us. No one has actually given us a proper reason why we are banned, from playing or coaching."

"I'm finding it quite funny more than anything. Why don't they just come out and say they are scared of India and be done with it? That would shut me up. Don't give us lip service," he added.

Gillespie has represented the Ahmedabad Rockets in the Twenty20 tournament, signing a lucrative three-year deal after his retirement from state cricket last summer to avoid a confrontation with Cricket Australia.

A Cricket Australia spokesman denied the decision not to extend a coaching job to Gillespie was influenced by India. (ANI)